Wormtongue and Rumplestiltskin
by RumpelGold
Summary: One-shot. A meeting between Zoso's relative and the one who inherited his power. Can be read as prequel to Entangled.


_Disclaimer: I do not, in any kind of way, profit from writing this story all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s)._

**AU:** This is a prequel to Entangled; in which Regina and Jareth form an alliance. I'm planning a spin-off featuring Mr Gold and Emma as well. I might do a GrimaxÉowyn story which would follow this encounter. I did not do any spelling/grammar check, and have been writing this with a huge headache. Errors will be taken out when my mind's clear again. Enjoy :)

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**Wormtongue and Rumplestiltskin**

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It should not be possible to go from A to B ; for time and space were connected in such complicated and mysterious ways that only few knew to find their way through the special loopholes and from one dimension into another. Unless you were a timelord, of course, then the jumps were a most natural thing to your species and you could go from one end of the universe to the other so long as you owned a Tardis.

But for those in more primitive and medieval times it had become almost impossible; and for those caught in worlds without the tingling sensation of magic it was never to be achieved. You could not cross boundaries and borders, and you most certainly could not jump from one dimension to another lest an alien expert had left hints and scientists had achieved an invention based on these prescriptions that would allow for the jump to be made.

In all cases the situation was clear. Rumplestiltskin and Grima Wormtongue could never meet. A meeting of the two would be illogical, irrelevant and preposterous.

And that might just be how it happened.

People such as the marvelous Goblin King had the magic to teleport from their own realm to other worlds, in a similar way the earthlings on the Enterprise could teleport themselves down to different surfaces. This magic, this ability to transfer, had fallen into the hands of ancient wizards in a time many eons ago. The planet earth, or at least one of the many to go by that name, had been inhabited by dwarves, halflings, elves and humans. And among all of these races there were wizards who longed for more power and managed to acquire and invent new magical skills each decade that passed by.

As it so happened, one of the wizards, a certain Benedorm Wormtongue, proud inhabitant of ancient Gondor, obtained such a new spell from the Goblin King after winning a gambling game of dice. The two exchanged knowledge and Jareth, the Goblin King, showed him a trick to jump between dimensions. Benedorm then used the spell to hop from one place to another, only to find himself in a world of witches and wizards he was no match to. His gambling made him poor and bereft him of many of his magic spells.

He came to drink and visited women, and when he ended up in the gutter one of these women came to him with a bundle in her arms. "It is yours," she said, "And I cannot feed it." He had no money and no intention to care for the child, and threw her his last coin. She went away with the child in her arms and by the time Wormtongue became sober he regretted his action. Determined to teleport home to his beloved Earth, he visited the young woman and his child and gifted them a magical amulet. After this he said his goodbyes and used the Goblin King's spell to convert back home where he started life anew.

Now, many decades later, one of his descendants, a sickly looking Grima Wormtongue, groveled on hands and knees in the palace of King Théoden, in Rohan. He had an unhealthy desire for the princess, but the courage of a Norwegian pink elephant. Non-existent.

In another realm, one of equal magic but with more creatures able to use it, another descendant of Wormtongue stood overlooking a village. He held onto an amulet which had been in his family for ages, and kissed the cold stone for luck. With closed eyes, Zoso wished for a way to be rid of his curse. And a wish was all it took to active the magic of his ancestor. The magic of the amulet buzzed just when Rumplestiltskin, desperate and worried, appeared.

The magic of Zoso's amulet transcended through time and space and by chance finally reached Grima in the palace of middle Earth. The magic enveloped him, and tried to pull him away, but he resisted, and in the end the magic yielded and started to pull at Zoso. But Zoso was dead. It was Rumplestiltskin who held his dagger and dark cursed powers, and who was creating havoc all around the village. Because of the time it took for the magic to dance from one dimension to another, when it finally reached back to the amulet, and pulled the owner away, several years had passed.

Rumplestiltskin happened to have kept the amulet as a keepsake, just like the ball his son used to play with. The magic came unexpected and strong and tugged at him, reluctant to be send away again. He gnarled his teeth, hissed, but before he had time to think of a counterattack he found himself on the palace floor in Rohan and in front of a confused looking Grima.

"Zoso?" Rumplestiltskin instantly cried out, recognizing the face of the stranger who had tricked him. "You bastard! You said you would die!"

Grima blinked confused and took a few cowardly steps backwards.

"You speak a language far different from mine." He lisped in a silky voice. "Guards!"

But Rumplestiltskin had pushed himself up onto his feet and clapped his hands on his knees. "Guards, eh? I would not call for them, traitor. What would they have to stop me?" Rumplestiltskin reached out his hand and gathered his magic there, it crept to Grima's neck in an attempt to strangle him but it was weak. The golden imp blinked and cried in frustration. His magic was weak.

"How do you do this?" Rumplestiltskin snarled, but Grima merely pressed himself into a corner. The action took Rumplestiltskin by surprise as it reminded him so much of himself. "You're a coward." He stated, surprised by his own declaration. Grima did not dare watch the golden man. Instead he gripped the wall for safety.

"Guards!" He called out again.

A few knights stepped forth and as they looked so much like the royal guards Rumplestiltskin knew in his Fairy Tale Land, he did not realize he had been taken to a completely different world and place. "You unhand me of my powers and call for others to finish the job." The golden creature barked, then burst out into a fit of giggles. "Powers you gave to me." He slammed the guards away with his magic, which was still strong enough to do at least so, then glowered at Grima who shielded his face with his arms. "Powers you _forced_ on me."

"I have never met you before." The counselor cried out. "Not ever."

"What?" Rumplestiltskin rasped in a jocular voice. "Have you forgotten me already? Now let's see, what was my name again? Spindleshinks?" He advanced on Grima and made sure to tread on each knight that lay in the way. "Am I not that desperate soul?"

Grima started shaking in fear.

"Rumplestiltskin." Rumplestiltskin said proudly, but it sparked no recognition in his victim and he slapped Grima's arms away so the man had nothing to hide behind.

"Ah, a coward, eh?" He smirked. How he disliked the word for it had been applied to him so many a time. Had he been a coward to let Baelfire go?

Grima trembled like a leaf and fell down on his knees. His bright eyes travelled the room in an attempt to find someone or something capable of saving his life. "Please," he begged.

"Please what?" The imp wished to know.

"Please, I'll do anything."

"Anything what?" Rumplestiltskin smirked maliciously and reached for the pale man. But at the touch of his golden claw to the pale cheek of the purple-lipped man he felt a soaring pain in his arm. At first he thought it was all Zoso's doing, that this was a wicked plan with a wicked trap. But then he had a vision of a man handing away an amulet, and he recalled that he held this amulet in his possession. And then he let go.

"So.. you can travel worlds?" He said hoarsely, and lowered his arm.

Grima looked at his feet and shook his head several times. "No, lord Rumplestiltskin, never Lord Rumplestiltskin."

"Someone who looked like you could." Rumplestiltskin sang, then gritted his teeth and hissed. "And I want to know who it was." This was perfect. In his quest to find back his son Rumplestiltskin could use any help possible. He had no clue how to find Baelfire's new world, and this man might somehow know a way. The amulet might be important.

"Who was it, Zoso?" He growled.

Grima turned his head away. "I don't know, master Rumplestiltskin." He stammered, and Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes. It was so evident that the counselor was scared of him and had instantly submitted. Perhaps this man was not Zoso after all, Rumplestiltskin thought.

"What's your name, dearie?" He gently traced a finger down the man's pale cheek, and Grima bristled. "Grima Wormtongue, my lordship."

So it was Lordship now? Rumplestiltskin fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Now, I want you to tell me who it was, Grima?" Rumplestiltskin cooed. "A man who looked like you? A father? A son?"

The counselor's eyes widened. He did not have a son but wanted one badly with lady Éowyn. Rumplestiltskin could see the desire in the other man's eyes and huffed in annoyance. He could get this man to reveal anything for free. At the best Grima'd be rewarded with his life, if Rumplestiltskin so pleased. Yet Grima was too frightened to ask for something in turn, to ask for compensation for his information given and fright taken.

"I have no relatives." He finally managed to say. "None I know of."

"Then perhaps a library for me to check your history?" Rumplestiltskin demanded, but Grima shook his head. "There was a great-grandfather of mine. Many years ago. They said he had obtained powers to travel worlds and in these worlds lost a son."

"Aha!" Rumplestiltskin's happy noises stopped Grima from talking. Instead the pale man watched the golden imp dance around the room and over the bodies of the guards.

"Are they dead?" Grima stammered.

"Dead? Deadish. If you wish so." Rumplestiltskin said with a kind smile. "For now they are unconscious. Now, who gave him these powers?" He hummed.

But Grima was scared and shaking, and was crawling on hands and knees again. Rumplestiltskin was tired with the man's pathetic behavior and forced him up on his feet.

"Pity, man, behave like you've got a spine." He spat. Grima's eyes opened wide.

"I can't help it. I am scared. Once born a coward," he trailed off and Rumplestiltskin roughly let go of him so the pale man slumped against the palace's wall.

"You think you can get what you want if you've got no courage?" The imp asked.

Grima looked surprised. "Yes."

Rumplestiltskin had expected a "no, not at all" to which he would have replied with a 'and here you have your answer'. But Grima's reaction struck him and he was speechless for a moment. He swirled around in his long robe and then kneeled down to pick up a helmet of one of the knights. He frowned at the logo on it which he did not recognize. For the first time he started to think he might have been transported to a different world, and not just a different land.

"Yes." He echoed the other man. Grima remained silent, but just as Rumplestiltskin was about to make another demand the counselor spoke up.

" There's nothing wrong with being a coward, my lord. So long as you cower at the right times, and stand strong when things truly matter."

Rumplestiltskin wrinkled his nose in disdain. He had instantly foreseen that Grima would be a very unfortunate soul. He would not live up to his own words. Grima would die unhappy and as a coward.

And at realizing this Rumplestiltskin felt a pang of pain in his heart and knew that he should avoid such a fate. Had he been a coward when he let go of his son's hand? He could see it in his mind's eye, how he reached out for him and cried, circled the dirt for a trace of the one he loved most. His own son. Lost.

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes. The image mixed with one of Grima groveling on tiles on top of a tower. Groveling. They both had been groveling. Clearly power, whether by magic or by position at court, was not what made a man courageous. He only saw it now, and thought without this meeting he would never have realized it.

Despite his dark and tainted soul he was about to bestow kindness upon his unfortunate opponent. He turned calmly to Wormtongue and opened his hand. A glow appeared. "My magic is weak here." He said, unkempt and rotten teeth showing. He cackled now.

"Your ancestor travelled worlds?"

Grima willingly bowed. "They say with help of the Goblin King. More I know not, my Lord."

"On your feet." Rumplestiltskin irritably commanded, and Grima did as he was told. Rumplestiltskin could sense the fear coming from this man.

"I'll grant you a night with your princess." He hissed, catching Grima by surprise. "Use it well, have her reproduce for you. Wormtongues are special men with special powers and where I come from they have ceased to exist. It'd be a shame if the same happened in this world, and without my help it will."

Grima's eyes widened even more. He had no idea what Rumplestiltskin's rant was all about.

"Take my gift as an exchange for your information." The glow transferred to Grima, then spread through the room and sought the object of his desire.

"It's a deal." Grima said, uncertain what to expect. It seemed like he would finally take a step forth but then halted, changed his mind, and in fear remained where he was. Rumplestiltskin let out a sigh and went to stand in the middle of the room. His thoughts were on the Goblin king who might be able to help him find a way into the world of his son.

The amulet's magic faded. Rumplestiltskin could feel the effects of it and saw how his hands became translucent. Then, with a flash, he vanished from this world and was returned to his own where he reappeared in his own castle.

Grima looked at the amulet that had fallen onto the ground. The golden man had disappeared. Carefully he stepped over the bodies of the guards and picked up the curious little item to find it carried the emblem of his family. "A Wormtongue." He gasped, and clutched the amulet close.

His grey eyes travelled the room as he remembered Rumplestiltskin's promise. He would spend a night with his lady and had to make the best of it. A small smile carved his lips.

"Grima!" It was King Théoden, ill with Saruman's curse. Bowing, Grima hurried to the King. Behind him the guards stirred and slowly, one by one, regained consciousness.

So you see, some encounters should not be possible but happen all the same. And without such encounters, more than one person would have been worse off. Now both benefited from their meeting. Rumplestiltskin had seen what cowardice would bring him, and Grima had been given a chance to keep the Wormtongues alive. And now they both set to work.


End file.
